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Amazon will give Cloud Cam owners a free camera when service shuts down
Amazon is shutting down Cloud Cam service on December 2nd, but it's offering a free Blink camera in exchange.
T-Mobile postpones Sprint 3G shutdown to March 31st, 2022
T-Mobile has delayed the shutdown of Sprint's 3G network to March 31st, 2022 as 'partners' hold the transition back.
Epic will shut down its Houseparty video chat app in October
Epic is shutting down Houseparty's video chat app in October to focus on socializing in its game metaverse.
Google extends shutdown deadline for native Chrome apps
Earlier this year, Google announced that it would end support for Chrome Apps on Windows, Mac and Linux by June 2020, or for enterprises and educators by December 2020. However, it has now announced an extension, in case you’re among the few still using them. Chrome apps will now work on those platforms until June 2021, and organizations can extend that by a full year until June 2022.
GM's Maven car-sharing service is shutting down
GM is shuttering its Maven service after COVID-19 and a general decline forced the automaker's hand.
Samsung shuts down its PC-to-mobile game streaming on March 27th
We hope you weren't counting on Samsung's PlayGalaxy Link to play your PC games on your phone. Samsung has quietly announced (so quietly that most didn't notice the news in late February) that it's shutting down the game streaming service on March 27th. The Korean tech giant didn't explain why besides "internal policy changes," but it hoped the closure would let it "more effectively focus its resources" toward new products.
MoviePass declares bankruptcy
You knew MoviePass wasn't long for this world when it shut down service in September, and now it's ready to bow out completely. MoviePass and its parent company Helios and Matheson Analytics have declared Chapter 7 bankruptcy -- that is, they're dissolving instead of trying to restructure under Chapter 11. Accordingly, the CEO, CFO and remaining board members have all resigned.
Some Under Armour fitness devices lose their smarts on March 31st (updated)
People who bought some of Under Armour's fitness devices are learning a hard lesson about the fragility of connected tech. Ars Technica has learned that the athletic wear company is winding down support for its scale, wristband and heart monitor by not only pulling the cornerstone Record mobile app (done on New Year's Eve), but halting all bug fixes and customer support. The app will stop working entirely on March 31st, preventing the gadgets from syncing their data outside of a handful of circumstances. Needless to say, that's a big problem if you dropped significant money on even one of UA's 2016-era devices, let alone $400 for the HealthBox bundle that included the three gadgets in one kit.
Bethesda stops work on 'The Elder Scrolls: Legends'
It's not a good time for card battle games, apparently. Bethesda has put all The Elder Scrolls: Legends development "on hold" for an indefinite amount of time, effectively canceling both the console version and a planned card set. The game will still be fully playable, and you can expect in-game events and rewards. Beyond that, though, the game is effectively frozen in time.
Apple confirms shutdown issue with the 2019 13-inch MacBook Pro
Apple's MacBook Pro issues are still ongoing, as it recently issued a support document confirming an unexpected shutdown problem on the entry-level 13-inch 2019 MacBook Pro. According to MacRumors' forum, the model can suddenly shut down when it hits about 25 to 50 percent of its battery life and you can only turn it on again by connecting the charger.
Sony will shut down PlayStation Vue in January 2020
The rumors of Sony ditching PlayStation Vue were true, at least to a degree. The company has announced that it will shut down its streaming TV service on January 30th, 2020. It attributed the decision to a pay TV industry that was "slower to change than expected" -- the field is still built around "expensive content and network deals," according to Sony.
Facebook will shut down Group Stories on September 26th
If you didn't find yourself using Facebook's Group Stories, you're not the only one. The social network has confirmed a report from commentator Matt Navarra that it's shutting down Group Stories on September 26th at 12PM Eastern. After that, Facebook will both delete any existing Stories and prevent users from creating new ones. Individual Stories will remain intact, of course.
Google shuts down its Trips travel planning app
Google is killing yet another app, although you might not mind quite as much with this one. The company is shutting down its Trips travel app as of August 5th (that's today, if you're reading in time) in favor of steering users to both its reworked travel search as well as Google Maps. Your information and tools aren't going away -- you will, however, need to look for them in other places.
Niantic is shutting down Field Trip, its first app
Niantic built its reputation on location-based games like Pokémon Go, Ingress and Harry Potter: Wizards Unite, but its roots are in its Field Trip app for finding nearby activities. And believe it or not, the company has kept the app going since 2012 -- even after the split with Google. Now, though, it's ready to wind down its original project. The team is shutting down Field Trip's services sometime later in 2019 in order to "prioritize" its efforts on augmented reality experiences.
'Driveclub' online features shut down March 31st, 2020
Driveclub has struggled despite its early hype and eventual refinement, and now Sony is ready to end its troubled saga. The company has announced that the servers for Driveclub, Driveclub VR and Driveclub Bikes will all shut down just before midnight British time (about 7PM Eastern) on March 31st, 2020, and that it will stop selling games and their add-on content August 31st, 2019 at a similar time. Any single-player components will still work, but that's the problem -- as the name suggests, Driveclub is an inherently social game.
Apple to shut down Texture on May 28th now that News+ exists
You knew Texture wasn't long for this world once Apple News+ arrived -- and sure enough, the end is in sight. Texture has warned subscribers that its all-you-can-read magazine service will end on May 28th, 2019. You'll have a month-long free News+ trial (the same as for anyone else) to see if the new service scratches your itch. However, there's one main problem: many of Texture's subscribers can't make the jump.
Razer closes its game store after 10 months
Razer is learning a hard lesson about the challenges of launching a game store. The hardware giant is closing the Razer Game Store on February 28th at 4AM Eastern as part of "realignment plans." It'll still honor pre-orders and notes that games will still work as long as you have their Steam or Uplay keys, but you won't have access to those keys once February is over. From March onward, you'll only get games from Razer through its reward programs.
GoFundMe launches campaign for government workers hit by shutdown
People have frequently used GoFundMe to lend a helping hand to others in need of some help, but the site itself is getting involved in light of the US government shutdown. The company has teamed up with Deepak Chopra to launch a donation campaign for government workers who've been furloughed or are being forced to work without pay. The initiative will donate contributors' money to "several" non-profits providing relief, including #ChefsForFeds (providing food) and the National Diaper Bank Network. More organizations will come onboard as the campaign continues, GoFundMe CEO Rob Solomon said.
Government shutdown has left several US agency websites inaccessible
Agency websites are among the many facets of the US government that the ongoing shutdown has affected, as more than 80 TLS certificates on government sites have reportedly expired. Even though federal employees could have renewed them well in advance of the shutdown, there's no one around to do so now, meaning dozens of sites may be inaccessible or non-secure for the time being.
FCC Chairman Ajit Pai cancels CES appearance
For the second year in a row, FCC Chairman Ajit Pai has cancelled his appearance at CES, though this time around, it's under very different circumstances. According to Politico Pro, both he and Commissioner Brendan Carr have had to cancel their CES plans due to the partial government shutdown that's still ongoing. Pai was supposed to discuss FCC plans with the Consumer Technology Association's Gary Shapiro while Carr was scheduled to take part in a roundtable discussion.
